With the advance of blogging and social media, artists have a new medium of exposing artwork to the general public. Gone are the days of just relying on brick and mortar galleries to have artworks seen by the masses. No more do artists have to prepare slides and rely on representation from art galleries as the means of selling their art.

The artist can take their own photographs and use the internet to directly market artworks internationally – all from the comfort of a home computer.

The web has opened up a whole world of possibilities for artists, and has brought the artist’s work onto a much broader and wider international stage. In this day and age any artist (with some online art promotion knowledge) can take their careers into their own hands, and sell their artwork themselves.

This is what Artpromotivate is all about – promoting artists and teaching them how to be self-sufficient in marketing artworks.

Many things have changed in the past few years in how artists relate to the world, and how they promote themselves. Has the internet (social networking, blogging, etc.) impacted artists in a positive or negative way? I guess the answer to this question depends on who you talk to. Of course, gallery owners do not like the shift that’s occurring in the art buying public, with more and more people realizing there is a lot of amazing, and affordable art to be purchased online. For artists, the impact of the internet has been mostly positive – it has opened up many opportunities and tools that were not there before.

These are some ways the internet is changing the life of the artist:

How artists spend their time

For artists involved in social media and blogging, it is very easy to lose a lot of time online – for post writing and connecting with fans. Photographing artwork for the web, uploading them, writing blog posts, sending out newsletters, and more, can be very time consuming tasks. Lets not forget all the distractions online that have nothing to do with our art – socializing on Facebook, watching Youtube videos, visiting websites, etc.

Most artists I know only have so much free time anyway. With day to day activities, raising kids, daytime jobs, and more, there is often little time left over for art creation, let alone promoting it online. In my opinion, art promotion holds equal importance to art creation, and I think many others would agree with me. For artists (those who are looking to sell art), ideally, 50% of “art time” should go toward creating art, and the other 50% to marketing it.

For those who become distracted by online activities and spend a lot of time doing unproductive things, my advice would be to go to your computer to do what you have to do at that time, then leave it.

Artists are becoming more cyber conscious

I see many older artists (50+) embracing the internet age. Actually, most readers of Artpromotivate are from this age group. Many of these have either returned to art after raising a family, or have worked all their life as an artist, and see new technology as opening up new avenues for exposing artwork to a wider international audience. Artists are increasingly placing more emphasis on blogging, building an email list, having their own portfolio website online, and networking with artists and fans throughout the world.

As for new artists, some are avoiding the gallery system altogether, and going online to create Etsy shops, make Youtube video demos, creating Facebook pages, and joining portfolio sites to post and promote art.

Learning all about an artist

One time, the only way to learn about an artist’s life, and where they come from as an artist was to attend their art show, read writings about them in publications, and from published books. Today, it is easier for artists to reveal to fans what inspires their art, and much easier for followers to learn about it. Blogs, newsletters, and social networking can reveal the inner life of an artist – the how and why of their art.

Actually, these things are allowing fans around the world to get to know artists on a personal level – something that was not possible before.

Artists are becoming more social

Before the days of the internet, many artists would seclude to their studio and work by themselves. Ways of promoting art were very limited – and mostly costly. The only time they would associate with the public was by attending art shows, art fairs, art clubs, and the like. With the internet, artists can easily go online anytime of day to show new artworks and what they are working on at the moment – and besides their regular internet bill, it doesn’t have to cost a thing. Any artist can begin a blog for free, create a free Facebook page, Pinterest profile, Twitter, and display their art there. The internet opens up a whole new world for artists.

Artists now have access to tools for art promotion they never would have imagined of before!

I see the internet as having a positive impact on many artists - in making them more sociable. More and more artists are talking about what their art is about and discussing art issues. For artists, I look at the internet as one giant art group, where artists can come together and support one another. An unknown artist living in a small secluded town can converse with artists in London or New York.

A humble artist in a tiny fishing village in Newfoundland, Canada can have an impact on the lives of artists throughout the world.

Do you have any opinions to share? How has the internet affected your way of working and your life as an artist?

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I have worked as a professional artist for about 20 years. In the past I didn't put very much effort into promotion, but with the new economy I found that it is necessary. I do spend about 50% of my time marketing now. Although the internet isn't my sole source of income as an artist, it has become increasingly important. I embraced it a few years ago, realizing that it would become more important with time. It has taken more time and work than I realized in the beginning. I have settled into a routine with my marketing now. I always have to be thinking about new ways to market online and offline, thinking "out of the box".

Without the internet I would not have a business. I am young and so I grew up with the internet. For me it just seemed natural to promote myself on social networks. I get involved in groups that are related to my niche and that is how I get my commissions. Next year I don't want to limit myself just to the internet. I still think putting yourself out there at markets, galleries, etc. is important.

Although I see the internet age as largely good for Artists it has certainly impacted pricing. Previously your work was mainly competing with Artist in your local area unless you managed to gain a reputation and were represented by a gallery in a major hub. However, now you are in competition with millions (yes millions) of other Artists in a global market place. For many Artists painting is a hobby or additional to full time work or a pension and they are happy to get enough to cover the cost of supplies and a little extra. As a professional Artist you have to work really hard on promotion and standing out from the crowd to justify pricing your art high enough to make a living. Many professional Artists make additional income by holding classes or building websites which bring in income from affiliations and memberships. Nothing wrong with all this we just need to be aware that we live in a different world to 10 years ago and it's important to keep up with the times. Professional Artist Sea Dean - Blue Sky Red Earth Virtual Gallery and Paint a Masterpiece.

@Melinda GoldenThanks Melinda,.. I think galleries are still very important as well, and will be for a long time. But I do see many artists, such as yourself, who are now beginning their careers on the internet.. then looking for galleries to after they have established themselves there. Artists certainly have much more control and choices than they once did!

Thanks for the interesting thoughts, Graham. I was particularly interested in your suggested 50% split of time between creating art and promoting it. I have the additional challenge/blessing of also fitting in teaching art. In 2013, I have planned a few less courses in order to paint and promote more - we'll see how that goes. In any case, it's a brave new world out there for artists! And you are right that it's great to be able to share it with artists from around the world.